I Might Be Moving
by TaliaFox
Summary: This is my spin on one of the things I think should have happened in "New Jack City." Jack beats Carson, proves he's a cheater, but what if the Wasabi Warriors were too busy the week before to realize that Jack might be moving?


This takes place in the episode "New Jack City" right after Jack beats Carson and proves he's a cheater.

…

"Could we convince you to come back to the dojo?" Rudy asked.

Jack began to reply, but didn't get the first word out before a woman came up to the group and said, "Jack, come on, we've got to go."

"Mrs. Brewer," Kim said, surprised to see Jack's mom, a woman that hardly showed herself. "Where are you going?" Kim asked.

"We've got a plane to catch," she replied, looking accusingly at Jack.

"I'll grab my stuff from the locker room. I'll be right out to the car," Jack told his mother.

"Just hurry or we'll miss our flight." Mrs. Brewer walked out of the dojo in a hurry. Jack turned and was walking to the changing rooms when Kim asked, "Where are you going?"

Jack stopped, only half turning around, "Colorado. My dad got a job offer. We're going to check out the town for a week before deciding if we want to stay or not."

There was a pause before Rudy asked, "Why didn't you tell us you might be moving?"

Jack fully turned around, looking at the Wasabi Warriors. "I was trying to for a week! Every time I said it, Carson walked in and no one heard me," he shouted, hurt evident in his voice. The Wasabi Warriors looked down, guilt in their hearts.

"So, that's it? It's official?" Kim asked.

Jack sighed, "My dad might not take the job. I have no idea. I'll be gone for a week. I'll be back next weekend; whether it be to pack up the rest of my stuff or staying here, well, I won't know until then."

Jack turned and walked off, leaving a group of very confused and guilty Wasabi Warriors.

"What have we done?" Kim asked. She got no reply. She didn't expect one.

…

The next week was the most boring one the Wasabi Warriors have ever known. News about what happened to Carson and Jack spread like wildfire around the school, and the Warriors got looks of pity all day, even from some of the Black Dragons. Nothing happened at school.

Practice at the dojo was even worse. Rudy would use Jack to help teach new moves, then both Rudy and Jack would go around to help them. Rudy used Kim now, but it wasn't the same. She didn't know the moves quite as well, and everyone knew it.

The week seemed to be going slowly.

Kim texted Jack every day for the group, asking how he was, how it was going, if he liked it there, etc., but she didn't get a reply until Wednesday, when Kim asked in the morning if his dad had gotten the job. It wasn't until they were in the dojo, in the middle of practice, when Kim's phone went off.

Kim bolted over to her locker.

"Kim, please, no cell phones," Rudy said as she interrupted his demonstration.

"It's Jack," was all she had to say before everyone was trying to look over her shoulder at her phone.

They saw Kim's earlier text: _Hey! Do you know if your dad got the job yet?_

Then they read Jack's reply: _No idea._

Kim quickly typed in: _How are you?_

About thirty seconds later, Jack replied: _Fine._

She sighed as she texted: _Be safe, Jack._

She didn't expect a reply, but almost immediately, he replied back with: _You guys, too._

Kim smiled. Maybe, if Jack's dad didn't get the job, things could go back to normal. Or they could make a new normal. _As long as Jack comes back,_ she thought.

…

Thursday and Friday went by slower than normal. Kim didn't get a reply out of Jack either of those days.

Saturday she and the guys all got to the dojo early in the morning. They all wanted to make sure they were there when Jack was back.

Kim hadn't heard a peep out of Jack since Wednesday, and she was nervous. Everyone was.

They guys had changed into their gi's and were now in a small huddle, but they weren't talking. Rudy wasn't giving instructions, he was just staring at the wall, again.

He seemed to be looking at that wall a lot recently.

Kim walked silently up behind him and saw that he wasn't looking at the wall. It was a picture on the wall.

Rudy was holding one of Jack's wrists up, and both of their other arms were up in victory. They both seemed to be shouting. They looked happy.

Kim remembered when they came home with that picture, form the Sensei/Student Tournament. They had come in last place. Not only that, but they scored the lowest on record. They never did say what they did to be scored like that. Every time one of them asked, Jack and Rudy would look at each other and then burst out laughing, so they stopped asking.

Kim walked to the side of the dojo with no one there and pulled out her phone.

She texted: _Come by the dojo when you get back?_

She didn't really expect a reply, which is why she was really shocked when her phone showed that Jack was _calling_ her.

"Jack?" she asked into her phone once she got over her shock. Everyone in the dojo whipped their heads to her before circling around her.

" _Hey, Kim,"_ Jack said, so casually, as if nothing from the past two weeks had ever happened.

"Hey," she said uncertainly, "We're all at the dojo, so, I mean, if you wanted to stop by…"

" _Sure, I'll be back around one."_

"We'll wait to eat with you then."

She saw the warriors smile, knowing Jack would be coming, at least for the day. But they looked at her, asking her a question with their eyes, so she slowly asked, "So, Jack… Did, you know, your dad…"

" _Get the job?"_ He supplied for her.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

" _Nah He didn't like it. I'm staying in Seaford."_

"I don't know whether to be happy or sad, "she said.

" _Wait, you mean… you don't want me to come back?"_ he asked.

"NO! No, no, no, no, no, a million times no. I'm glad you're staying in Seaford-" she was interrupted by the Wasabi Warriors hollering in delight. "We all are," she said as she heard Jack chuckle. "It's just, if you wanted to stay, then we should be sad."

The Warriors sobered up.

" _Trust me, I do not want to stay here. I want to come home to my friends."_

Kim smiled, "Then we're glad you're staying."

Their friends went back to partying as Jack said, _"_ _I think my plane's boarding. When I land I'll meet you at the dojo?"_

"Perfect. See you in a couple hours."

...

It was after one, Jack should be here any minute.

The Wasabi Warriors couldn't reel in their excitement anymore. They had gone out into the courtyard. Jerry had his music player, wanting to play something so it wasn't so tense.

"Where's that music coming from?" Frank asked as he entered the courtyard.

"Oh, that's my music playa', yo," Jerry said.

"Oh, yeah? Hand it over," Frank said.

"No way, it's mine, bro."

"Hand it over."

Jerry looked uncertain.

"That's Jerry's," Rudy told the Black Dragon.

"Well, now it's mine," Frank said as his first went hurtling toward Jerry.

But it never reached him.

Frank's fist was caught in a hand.

Jack stood there, a bag over his shoulder, his hair a bit messier than usual, and a smirk playing on his lips as he said, "You probably shouldn't have don't that."

The Wasabi Warriors smiled, but Frank looked like he was going to faint.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" he shouted, turning and running off.

"Jack!" Kim shouted, throwing her arms around him.

They both realized a few seconds later they were hugging ad pulled apart awkwardly.

"I mean, I'm glad you're back, Jack," she said, punching gently in the arm.

"Yeah, me, too," he said, repeating he gesture on her arm.

"Jack!" everyone swarmed him, patting him on the back and pulling him into a man-hug.

When everyone pulled back, Rudy got serious.

"Look, Jack. We should've believed you. We're really sorry. Now that you know you're staying, could we convince you to come to the dojo?"

"I only have one thing to say to you guys," Jack started, "Wasabi?" he asked, putting his hand in the middle

They all grinned, shouting, "WASABI!"

"I'm sorry!" they heard Frank yell from the distance.

They all laughed as they went into Falafel Phil's for lunch, debating who should pay.


End file.
